The Third Proposition, Concerning the Scriptures.
From these Revelations of the Spirit of God to the Saints have proceeded the Scriptures of Truth, which contain,
I. A faithful historical account of the actings of Gods People in divers ages, with many singular and remarkable Providences attending them.
II. A Prophetical account of several things, whereof some are already past, and some yet to come.
III. A full and ample account of all the chief Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, held forth in divers precious Declarations, Exhortotions, and Sentences, which, by the moving of God's Spirit, were at several times, and upon sundry occasions, spoken and written unto some Churches, and their Pastors.
Nevertheless, because they are only a Declaration of the Fountain, and not the Fountain it self, therefore they are not to be esteemed the prin∣cipal ground of all Truth and Knowledg, nor yet the adequate, pri∣mary Rule of Faith and manners. Yet, because they give a true and faithful Testimony of the first Foundation, they are and may be esteem∣ed, a secondary rule, subordinate to the Spirit, from which they have all their excellency and certainty: for, as by the inward Testimony of the Spirit we do alone truly know them, so they testifie, that the Spirit is that Guide by which the Saints are led into all Truth; therefore, according to the Scriptures, the Spirit is the First and Principal Lead∣er. Seeing then that we do therefore receive and believe the Scriptures, because they proceeded from the Spirit, for the very same reason, is the Spirit more Originally and Principally the Rule, according to that received Maxime in the Schools, Propter quod unumquodque est tale, iliud ipsum est magis tale; That for which a thing is such, the thing it self is more such.
§. I. THe former part of this Proposition, though it needs no Apo∣logy for it, yet it is a good Apology for us, and will help to sweep away that, among many other Calumnys, wherewith we are